• All course fees go to support teaching activities—including the subsidizing of meditation courses in inner cities, on Native American reservations, for impoverished students in developing nations, and programs for the homeless—all of whom can learn the TM technique free of charge.• No individual or organization has ever made a lucrative profit from teaching the TM technique—there are no highly paid share holders, no kickbacks—only modest salaries paid to organization employees. All non-profit financial records are public access.• For anyone wishing to learn who cannot afford the full tuition, the TM organization offers special reduced fees, grants, scholarships, work-study programs and other financial aid options.SKEPTICS:"Practicing the TM technique is no different from just relaxing."

FACTS:

• Numerous physiological studies have confirmed a unique state of restful alertness not found during ordinary relaxation.

• Neuroscience shows unique brain patterns—increased alpha power and high EEG coherence in the brain's frontal cortex, as well as intra-hemispheric synchrony and integration of the frontal and occipital regions—distinguishing TM practice from ordinary relaxation and other meditations.

• A wide parameter of physiological markers shows relaxation much deeper than eyes-closed rest or other relaxation techniques.

SKEPTICS:"All meditation practices are the same and other techniques produce the same effects as TM.”

FACTS:

• The variety of meditation practices engage the mind in different ways, have various aims and produce different results.• Neuroscientists have discovered that different meditation techniques produce markedly different effects on brain function.• According to research studies, only the meditative state associated with TM practice has been found to consistently produce high levels of EEG alpha coherence throughout the brain—indicating growth of more efficient, integrated brain functioning and improved mental performance.• Comparative research studies and meta-analyses show that other meditation practices have not been found to produce the same effects as the TM technique for providing deep rest, reducing anxiety, lowering high blood pressure, promoting self-actualization and various other benefits.

• The TM program offers lifelongfollow-up and support as needed at no further cost—consisting of one-on-one guidance and ongoing classes.

• Other meditation practices may cost less or nothing because they are not as time-intensive for the teacher—or require no teacher at all. The authentic TM technique can be properly learned only from a certified TM instructor, and cannot be learned from a book, CD, or other less formal methods.

SKEPTICS:"It's a religion disguised as a science."

FACTS:

• TM practice is secular and not faith-based—it's a technique for direct experience.• There is no TM-related belief system or dogma that one is urged to accept when learning the TM technique—or anytime afterward.

• TM is scientific because every principle associated with the practice is verifiable by direct experience and scientific research.

SKEPTICS:"It's a form of Hinduism."

FACTS:

• The TM technique comes from the ancient Vedic tradition of India—a tradition that includes systematic, testable knowledge about consciousness, meditation, health and other areas.

• Just as yoga is practiced by people of all religions in a non-conflicting, secular context, TM practice is universal and non-religious.

• According to Vedic and Sanskrit scholars, mantras such as those used in TM practice are not "names of deities" as sometimes claimed by anti-meditation advocates. Even if certain people were to ascribe religious context to particular mantras, that would be irrelevant to TM practice, which uses specific mantras or sounds in an innocent, natural way devoid of meaning. In fact, that the mantras not be associated with meaning is fundamental to the effectiveness of the TM technique.• Maharishi, known by many as a "scientist of consciousness," revived the TM technique, which had been long lost to society even in India, and established it as a secular, scientific practice free of religious trappings. He identified the universal, scientific elements of this technique—previously shrouded in mysticism—and demonstrated its unique, practical benefits for people of all cultures and religions.

BBC World News: Using the Transcendental Meditation technique to alleviate ADHD

CNBC-TV's "Bullseye": The TM technique for easing workplace stress

The TM technique is taught by a non-profit 501(3)c educational organization

ABC NEWS: The TM Program & ADHD

“Well controlled research has shown that for reducing stress and promoting health, all meditation practices are not equal. People who come to me for relief from stress—and stress related disorders—need a meditation that won’t take a long time to master and will produce consistent results right away. Even though TM is a mental technique, because of the mind/body relationship the practice has extensive physiological effects. This can only result from the fact that TM allows the mind to settle very deeply inward in an effortless, natural way. TM teachers call this transcending. It’s what sets TM apart and why the practice is so beneficial—for mind and body—right from the start.”—Gary Kaplan, MD, faculty, New York University School of Medicine

American Stroke Association

Click to download PDF of study on Atherosclerosis and Hypertension

American Medical Association Research

Click to download PDF of study on coronary heart disease

NIH Research on the TM program

Click to download PDFs of NIH studies

Is the TM technique scientific?

"Some people assume the Transcendental Meditation program is religious instead of scientific because it's 'meditation' and deals with concepts like 'pure awareness' and 'transcendence,' or because it was introduced from India by a teacher who was a monk. But philosophers of science know that what makes a discipline religious or scientific is not the content or subject matter, it's the method used to gain knowledge. If Galileo looks through his telescope at the stars and suddenly a flock of angels flies by, it doesn't mean he's no longer observing as a scientist, although his subject matter has changed. TM is a science, not a religion, because the approach to exploring the full range of human consciousness is scientific and experiential, not faith-based. Every principle behind the practice and every claim made for it is testable. Scientists have realized that consciousness and meditation, once thought to be mystical or outside the realm of science, can be studied scientifically."

"Aren't all meditation practices the same?"

"One of the most common 'skeptical' questions I get is, 'Aren't all meditations practices basically the same?' Most of the research on the health benefits of meditation were done specifically on the TM technique, and have not been found to apply to other forms of meditation—any more than research on one medicine will apply to all others. The TM technique produces a unique brain wave pattern that signifies a coherent state of restful alertness, which is very different from concentration, contemplation or mindfulness."—Jeanne Ball, Certified Teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique, Asheville, NCss

"I've been a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique since 1974 and have taught hundreds of people of all ages, religions and backgrounds. TM doesn't require that you believe in it for it to work. In fact, I always really enjoy teaching the skeptics because they're so surprised when they start to feel the benefits so unexpectedly."—Billie Jean Billman, mother and Certified Teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program, Minneapolis, MN

"One of Maharishi's great contributions as a teacher was to establish the benefits of meditation on the ground of empirical science. Some people wondered over the years why Maharishi placed so much emphasis on science—always inviting researchers at universities and medical schools, wherever he went, to investigate TM. Now with so many people advocating various types of practices and making claims, I appreciate having an objective basis for evaluating the effects of the various meditation practices."